The fourth annual UW Bothell (un)GALA dinner and auction raised more than $100,000 that is going directly to students through scholarships and programs in the School of Business.
When the school’s primary fundraising event started in 2016, it raised just $18,000 in proceeds.
Growing support
More than 200 people attended the event Sept. 19 at the Columbia Winery in Woodinville. They included most of the 27-member School of Business Advisory Board. Other donors came with 24 corporate sponsors, led by presenting sponsor T-Mobile.
Attendees contributed money to student scholarships through the auction of donated dining, travel and other experiences as well as direct “raise the paddle” donations.
Speakers included event chair Tom Sulewski, who leads the Audit Department at the Clark Nuber certified public accounting firm. He’s the advisory board chair-elect; he teaches a course in financial audits at UW Bothell as an adjunct professor; and his firm has hired about 30 UW Bothell graduates over the past decade.
One of the next UW Bothell students heading for Clark Nuber is Katie Layman. She told the audience that she grew up thinking she wasn’t good at math, but she gained the confidence and skills to major in accounting.
Part of the help she received at UW Bothell was a $1,500 scholarship from the School of Business Donor Excellence Fund. It was directly funded by the (un)GALA. Once math-averse, Layman is already an audit associate at Clark Nuber with an offer of a full-time job after she graduates in March.
Creating leaders
School of Business Dean Sandeep Krishnamurthy thanked the (un)GALA donors for their commitment in creating exceptional leaders who will shape visionary businesses.
“I believe we are teaching both the pragmatic skills that every business needs in its leaders and the theoretical knowledge that prompts critical thinking,” Krishnamurthy told the event attendees.
“With that blended philosophy — and the hands-on workplace experiences so many of you provide our students — we produce graduates who are in great demand.”